Following Michigan’s huge upset over Ohio State during Rivalry Week, they attempted to plant a school flag at midfield of Ohio Stadium, and it did not sit well with the Buckeyes.
Members of both teams got into an all-out brawl that got to the point where police on the field used pepper spray to break uo the fighting.
That decision prompted some controversy, but according to The Athletic, reviews by two Ohio agencies say that law enforcement was justified in its actions.
“Several people were on the ground, police officers were being pushed and shoved by large, highly trained and skilled division one football athletes in full football game attire,” Ohio State University police detective Douglas Cunningham wrote in his department’s report. “The players had the advantage in both size, strength, conditioning, protective gear and they outnumbered the police presence trying to suppress the growing threat.”
Cunningham said he used pepper spray to “assist in gaining compliance from the aggression/resistance of the surging crowd,” as initial attempts to “suppress the aggressive, combative and growing crowd and to regain order” did not work.
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Ohio State head coach Ryan Day defended his players after the melee, saying, “These guys were looking to put a flag on our field, and we’re not going to let that happen.”
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, who waved goodbye to Buckeyes fans in the crowd after the Wolverines’ final stop, took the high road following their 13-10 win.
“It was emotion on both sides. It can’t happen. . . . We got to handle it better,” Moore said.
Michigan running back Kalel Mullins, who ran for over 100 yards in the contest, said the moment was “bad for the sport” and “classless” for the Buckeyes to take it to that level.
Each school was fined $100,000 for the brawl. Nobody was suspended.
It was the fourth year in a row that Michigan defeated Ohio State after the Buckeyes had won 15 of 16 meetings. But the Buckeyes got the last laugh, going on a run to become the national champions.
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